diff --git a/redirect.py b/redirect.py
index d15db27..2a8c71e 100644
--- a/redirect.py
+++ b/redirect.py
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ def redir(to):
 
     if accept_as2:
         # AS2 requested, fetch and convert and serve
-        obj = Webmention.load(to)
+        obj = Webmention.load(to, check_backlink=False)
         if not obj or obj.deleted:
             return f'Object not found: {to}', 404
         ret = activitypub.postprocess_as2(as2.from_as1(obj.as1))
diff --git a/tests/test_redirect.py b/tests/test_redirect.py
index 0bcac57..8c2a9cc 100644
--- a/tests/test_redirect.py
+++ b/tests/test_redirect.py
@@ -69,11 +69,11 @@ class RedirectTest(testutil.TestCase):
 
     def test_as2_no_user(self):
         with self.request_context:
-            Object(id='https://user.com/post', as2=EXTERNAL_REPOST_AS2).put()
+            Object(id='https://user.com/repost', as2=EXTERNAL_REPOST_AS2).put()
 
         self.user.key.delete()
 
-        resp = self.client.get('/r/https://user.com/post',
+        resp = self.client.get('/r/https://user.com/repost',
                                headers={'Accept': as2.CONTENT_TYPE})
         self.assertEqual(200, resp.status_code, resp.get_data(as_text=True))
         self.assert_equals(EXTERNAL_REPOST_AS2, resp.json)
@@ -82,7 +82,20 @@ class RedirectTest(testutil.TestCase):
     def test_as2_fetch_post(self, mock_get):
         mock_get.return_value = requests_response(REPOST_HTML)
 
-        resp = self.client.get('/r/https://user.com/post',
+        resp = self.client.get('/r/https://user.com/repost',
+                               headers={'Accept': as2.CONTENT_TYPE})
+        self.assertEqual(200, resp.status_code, resp.get_data(as_text=True))
+        self.assert_equals({
+            **REPOST_AS2,
+            'actor': ACTOR_AS2,
+        }, resp.json)
+
+    @patch('requests.get')
+    def test_as2_fetch_post_no_backlink(self, mock_get):
+        mock_get.return_value = requests_response(
+            REPOST_HTML.replace('<a href="http://localhost/"></a>', ''))
+
+        resp = self.client.get('/r/https://user.com/repost',
                                headers={'Accept': as2.CONTENT_TYPE})
         self.assertEqual(200, resp.status_code, resp.get_data(as_text=True))
         self.assert_equals({
diff --git a/tests/test_webmention.py b/tests/test_webmention.py
index 921cdb0..0a71b7f 100644
--- a/tests/test_webmention.py
+++ b/tests/test_webmention.py
@@ -514,7 +514,7 @@ class WebmentionTest(testutil.TestCase):
                                data={'source': 'https://user.com/reply'})
         self.assertEqual(502, got.status_code)
 
-    def test_no_backlink(self, mock_get, mock_post):
+    def test_missing_backlink(self, mock_get, mock_post):
         mock_get.return_value = requests_response(
             self.reply_html.replace('<a href="http://localhost/"></a>', ''),
             url='https://user.com/reply', content_type=CONTENT_TYPE_HTML)
@@ -1375,6 +1375,15 @@ class WebmentionUtilTest(testutil.TestCase):
         with self.assertRaises(BadGateway) as e:
             Webmention.fetch(Object(id='https://foo'), gateway=True)
 
+    def test_fetch_check_backlink_false(self, mock_get, mock_post):
+        mock_get.return_value = requests_response(
+            REPOST_HTML.replace('<a href="http://localhost/"></a>', ''))
+
+        obj = Object(id='https://foo')
+        Webmention.fetch(obj, check_backlink=False)
+        self.assert_equals(REPOST_MF2, obj.mf2)
+        mock_get.assert_has_calls((self.req('https://foo'),))
+
     def test_fetch_run_authorship(self, mock_get, __):
         mock_get.side_effect = [
             # post
diff --git a/webmention.py b/webmention.py
index a052c43..5d2d27e 100644
--- a/webmention.py
+++ b/webmention.py
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ class Webmention(Protocol):
             return True
 
     @classmethod
-    def fetch(cls, obj, gateway=False):
+    def fetch(cls, obj, gateway=False, check_backlink=None):
         """Fetches a URL over HTTP and extracts its microformats2.
 
         Follows redirects, but doesn't change the original URL in obj's id! The
@@ -64,11 +64,16 @@ class Webmention(Protocol):
 
         Args:
           gateway: passed through to :func:`webutil.util.fetch_mf2`
+          check_backlink: bool, optional, whether to require a link to Bridgy Fed
         """
         url = obj.key.id()
         is_homepage = ((g.user and g.user.is_homepage(url)) or
                        (g.external_user and g.external_user == url))
-        require_backlink = common.host_url().rstrip('/') if not is_homepage else None
+
+
+        require_backlink = None
+        if check_backlink or (check_backlink is None and not is_homepage):
+            require_backlink = common.host_url().rstrip('/')
 
         try:
             parsed = util.fetch_mf2(url, gateway=gateway,